Rather than attend school, many children must earn money to bring food to the family, focusing on short-term goals and not longer-term opportunities. The result is poor health and educational outcomes that only traps them in the cycle of poverty.
1/3
of the world's malnourished children live in India
26
million primary school aged children are not enrolled in school
40%
drop out before reaching the 5th grade
Akshaya Patra meals give children an incentive to come to school and stay in school, as well as provides them with the necessary nutrients to develop their cognitive abilities and focus on learning.
1.3
million children served DAILY
9,000
schools participate in our program
9
states collaborate with Akshaya Patra
We designed high-tech, high-yield kitchens that allowed us to grow exponentially - from serving 1,500 children in 5 schools daily in 2000 to 1.3 million children daily in over 9,000 schools today. The efficiency of our model enables us scale while maintaining excellence in our operations.
185,000
meals prepared in less than 5 hours in Hubli
60,000
whole-wheat chapatti (flat breads) prepared per hour
19
kitchens across India serve 1.3 million children
Akshaya Patra, a public-private partnership, receives government subsidies in the form of grains and cash. These subsidies lower the cost per meal for Akshaya Patra and allows us to feed one child for an entire year for $15. Our model exemplifies what can be accomplished when the public sector, private sector, and civic society collaborate-a model of scale, efficiency, and impact.
$ 0.13
average cost of one Akshaya Patra meal
$ 0.08
of each meal is provided by government subsidies
$ 0.05
is what it costs Akshaya Patra per meal
Increased enrollment, especially for girls. Lower drop out rates. Better academic performance. Better health. Everywhere, our model is making a positive impact on the lives of children and their families.
Increased enrollment
& attendance
especially for girls
Improved nutritional
status with fewer
underweight children
Improved academic
performance due to
improved concentration
Education is the single most effective means of taking a family out of poverty. By providing mid day meals to children in school, Akshaya Patra ensures that no child is deprived of education because of hunger and provides them with opportunities for a better, more prosperous future. This scalable model has the potential of being replicated in any part of the globe.
#24 of world's
Top 100 NGOs
Global Journal
#1
NGO in world
"Children & Youth" Category
Global Journal
Ranking based on
impact, innovation and efficiency
~The Global Journal
Make a donation. Start a campaign and raise funds to support meals for children, sponsor a school, a distribution vehicle, or a kitchen. Join the Power of One Campaign. Get your friends involved and spread the word.
1billionth
meal served in August 2012
